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Khalul
'Khalul', also known as The Prophet, was the religious leader of the Gurkish Empire, and the true power behind the Emperor. The Second of the Magi has a bitter rivalry with Bayaz that is now centuries old. Khalul openly defied the Second Law that states ''"It is forbidden to eat the flesh of men". With his apprentice Mamun, they were the first Eaters, since Glustrod. Powers Little is known about his powers and specialisation as a Magi, but in a Q&A with Joe Abercrombie, he commented that it's manipulation, control, air and movement. History In the Old Time, Khalul was a boy from Kanta whom Juvens took as his second apprentice, after Bayaz. From the beginning they became rivals, first arguing then hating, too proud and jealous of one another, even as Juvens took more apprentices, twelve in all. Khalul was close to Yulwei in the past, and also a lover of Cawneil. After the horrors of the war with Glustrod, Juvens interceded in the feud between he and Bayaz, lest they kill each other, and sent them away; Bayaz to the north and Khalul to the south. Juvens hoped it would cool their tempers, but it only made matters worse, with each plotting revenge. Little is known of what Khalul did, but Bayaz became the apprentice of Juvens' brother Kanedias, and stole his secrets. When Bayaz fled the Master Maker's wrath back to Juvens, Kanedias followed him. The brothers fought, and according to Bayaz, Kanedias killed his brother with The Divider. Bayaz gathered ten of the eleven Magi and made war on the Master Maker, eventually killing him. However, Khalul refused to come. He did not trust Bayaz's version of events, and held Bayaz himself responsible for the death of Juvens. He swore vengeance, but he stood alone against many. So he made his great sacrifice, and with his first apprentice Mamun broke The Second Law and ate the flesh of men; thus becoming the first Eaters since Glustrod. In Gurkhul, Khalul walked the deserts and showed his great power to the people by walking naked through a rain of arrows and emerging untouched. The Emperor of Gurkhul abase himself before Khalul as God's right hand. He became the religious leader of the Church of Gurkhul and took the title of Prophet. Khalul has now manipulated the Gurkish Empire for centuries, emulating the way his master Juvens had cultivated the cradle of civilization in The Old Empire. The fortress-temple in the mountains of Sarkant became his seat of power. His priests scour the south for those with any promise. Faster and faster he makes more Eaters for the Hundred Words; Yulwei believes that he may have as many as two hundred. Recent Events Trilogy Khalul sends two Eaters to recapture the notorious escaped-slave Ferro Maljinn. However, the Magus Yulwei helps her escape to Adua with his High Art. On their journey, Yulwei observes the Gurkish preparations for war, as well as a secret navy fleet. Khalul sends an Eater Shickel into Dagoska to spy on The Union, in preparation for conquering the city. It takes over two months of Gurkish siege to capture Dagoska and bring it into the Gurkish Empire, resulting in colossal loses to the Gurkish force. It's heavily implied in Red Country that Khalul's Eaters kill the religious leader of the native Dagoskans, Haddish Kahdia. Later, the Prophet remains in Sarkant, and sends Mamum at the head of the Hundred Words to put siege to Adua and bring Bayaz to justice. The Battle of Adua ends in a costly Gurkish defeat. Most of the Hundred Words are destroyed when Bayaz uses The Seed against them. Mamun himself is killed when he confronts Ferro Maljinn who has been greatly empowered by exposure to The Seed. Standalones In Best Served Cold, Khalul's rivalry with Bayaz continues in Styria, where he tries to overthrow Grand Duke Orso's rule of Talins and soon the whole of Styria; Orso is supported by Valint & Balk and Bayaz. He sends his messenger Ishri to supports Grand Duke Rogont of Ospria and Monza Murcatto in their plan to bring down the Duke of Talins. They succeed in overthrowing Orso, but Grand Duchess Monza of Talins refuses to side with either Khalul or Bayaz. Category:CharactersCategory:MagiCategory:KanticIn The Heroes, the Prophet again shows an interest in the war between the North and the Union. He sends Ishri to advise King Black Dow of the Northmen, mainly scouting the Union Army positions. In the end, when Dow agrees to a duel with his rival Calder, she despairs at the foolish savage Northmen, and leaves. Sequel Trilogy Khalul has disappeared, but there are conflicting reports on what happened: either he was killed by a demon (possibly Ferro), or he defeated said demon but is recovering from the battle. Bayaz said that he "engineered a suspension of hostilities with a troublesome brother in the South", suggesting he may have had a hand in it, and "suspension" rather than "termination" would imply that Khalul is still alive. Either way, the Gurkish Empire collapsed. Emperor Uthman's five sons are fighting over the throne, and the provinces of the Empire have declared their independence. The Age of Madness The great Prophet Khalul has vanished. Some say he was killed by a demon; others that he overcame her and is recovering from the battle. The assumption is that this is the work of Ferro Maljinn. All-powerful Emperor Uthman has also been deposed, and, while his five sons struggle with each other, the Gurkish Empire has fallen apart. The provinces declare their independence, warlords spring up everywhere, and desperate refugees flee the chaos for The Union.